1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an orientation adjustment device that adjusts a relative orientation between an article and a placing base on which the article is placed.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional exposure devices fabricate electronic components by transferring circuit patterns written in reticles onto semiconductor devices. Here, the reticle, being housed in a pod for preventing contamination, is inserted into the exposure device. A direction in which the reticle is inserted into the exposure device depends on a model. More specifically, a direction in which the reticle is inserted into the exposure device is predetermined and a direction in which a pod having the reticle housed therein is inserted into the exposure device is also predetermined.
Thus, conventional reticle storages have mechanisms for adjusting the orientation of a reticle in a pod, in accordance with a model of the exposure device. Specifically, there exists a reticle storage which has, as an orientation adjustment device, a mechanism of removing the reticle from the pod in a pod opener, rotating the reticle by a predetermined angle on a turntable, and housing the reticle back in the pod in the pod opener.
According to the above mechanism, however, a need exists to move the reticle from the pod opener to the turntable, and, after rotating the reticle, move the reticle from the turntable back to the pod opener. As a result, there arises a problem that the process of transferring the reticle between the pod opener and the turntable is time consuming.